
Malawi in general is a melting pot where people of different ethnic groups and religious traditions mix and live in harmony. In some communities however, these different groups keep themselves apart, not really interacting with other religious groups. Maso Amudzi (Community Watch) brings everyone together in a way that benefits all groups. Members strive to build the capacity of communities for peaceful interactions with the environment by enhancing commitments to reforestation, good waste disposal, women empowerment and respect for one another’s religious traditions. The bridges that are being built are between the people and the environment. But this Cooperation Circle (CC) believes that in order to understand the environment, people must understand and respect each other. CC members believe that people from different religions—Muslims, Christians, Traditionals, Rastas—must all accept each other and their right to be part of the earth, so that they can help each other in this shared responsibility. The group has been participating actively and enthusiastically in UN special days and in the community of URI led by the Malawi Coordinating Committee. They have joined forces with other Blantyre CCs for special projects, like helping communities affected by the flooding situation which has plagued Malawians in recent months.